


intermediate textiles

by androgynousmikewheeler



Series: beginning gender studies [3]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Femme Presenting Abed, Gen, Nonbinary Abed Nadir, Trans Annie Edison, ambiguously romantic, hijab
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgynousmikewheeler/pseuds/androgynousmikewheeler
Summary: Abed can’t get their hijab on right to meet Abra. Annie offers her help.
Relationships: Abed Nadir & Abra Nadir, Annie Edison & Abed Nadir, Annie Edison/Abed Nadir
Series: beginning gender studies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849411
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Feeshies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feeshies/gifts).



“Abed,” Annie calls across the apartment, “if we don’t leave soon, Abra’s going to beat us to the airport.” No reply. “Abed!”

The shuffling from the blanket fort continues, but Abed doesn’t respond. Annie sighs and trudges over, pulling back the cloth doorway to find them standing before the mirror, fussing with a headscarf. They tug it over their forehead, tucking the ends into their collar with a quickly escalating frustration.

”Hey.” Annie’s voice is gentle but clear, and Abed turns to her with frustrated eyes. “What’s going on?”

Abed whines. “All I want is to get this damn hijab to work so Abra doesn’t think I’m an absolute failure, and apparently I can’t manage that, so it looks like I am, in fact, an absolute failure. And Abra’s going to think I’m an idiot.”

Annie kneels beside them and holds out her hands, which Abed takes. “Abra already adores you. I’ve met her twice, we’ve barely spoken, and even I know that. You don’t have to worry about impressing her. So, do you know why you’re stressed about it?”

They shrug.

“Does it have anything to do with your gender presentation? I don’t think Abra’s ever seen you on a feminine day, has she?”

They shake their head. “What if she thinks it’s stupid? Or weird? Or fake?”

“You have talked to her about it, right? Over email and stuff?”

“Yeah, but... it’s different in person. And I just want to do it right. I want to look put together and pretty and... Abra’s the only girl in my family. I want...” they huff, “I don’t even know.”

Annie squeezes their hands, a grounding pressure against their knuckles. “Abra’s acceptance is important to you. I get it. It’s weird trying to join the girls’ circle, especially in your own family. What do you need?”

Abed rolls their eyes and gestures at a diagram on their laptop, detailing the delicate folds of a hijab. “I can’t get it to look right.”

“Do you want me to help you?”

“Please.”

Annie studies the diagram for a moment before reaching up to take the crimson chiffon between her fingers. She unclasps the star-shaped pin and places it in Abed’s palm. She unfurls the scarf and wraps it carefully around their hair, folds deliberate, efficient, and gentle. Abed hands her back the pin and she pierces through the fabric above their left ear, latching it into place with a satisfying click.

She turns them back towards the mirror, and asks, “Does that look okay?”

Abed grins, fingers tracing the creases. “Thanks, Annie.”

“Trans solidarity, right?” They nod. “Can I hold your hand?” she asks.

Abed laces their fingers through hers. “Chez Trobedison’s Rule #27,” they recite, “No one has to go through scary things alone.”

She rubs a circle on their skin with her thumb as they exit the apartment. “You got this.”

They pull her into a hug outside their front door. “Only if I’ve also got you.”

“You’ve always got me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abed and Annie pick Abra up from the airport.

Annie holds up the sign bearing Abed's thick Arabic lettering, trying to pick Abra out of the flood of oncoming people. Abed stands beside her, fiddling with their sleeves and shying away from the constant crowding. Their face remains neutral as ever, but anxiety etches itself in every angle of their limbs. 

"Are you okay?" she asks, tugging at their sleeve.

They shoot her a hesitant thumbs up.

Before she can inquire further, their eyes trail across the luggage claim and latch onto a black-draped figure.

"Abra!" they yell, posture shooting up in excitement, waving erratically, "Abra!"

Abra looks around for the voice, a similar electric current coursing through her as she finds Abed, dragging her bulky suitcase and calling out in glee.

As she reaches them, her excited Arabic chatter joins Abed's, an eager cacophony which quiets Annie's second hand anxiety.

Abra takes a breath as Abed rambles on, pushing up onto her tiptoes, and kisses Abed on the cheek through her niqab. 

They pull back, head cocked to the side, the hint of a smile on their face. A short burst of conversation, and then they return the gesture, bending slightly to kiss Abra's cheek. 

Abed takes their cousin's hand and twists her to face Annie, who gives a finger-fluttering wave. 

"Annie!" Abra says, kissing her cheek as well, "I am glad to see you!" Her English flows far slower than her Arabic, but the excitement echoes through it nonetheless. 

"We're so excited to have you! Abed's had the date circled in red on the calendar for months!"

Abra turns to Abed. "Calendar… For days, yes?"

Abed nods.

She turns back to Annie, eyes apologetic and wording deliberate, "I am not fluent in English. I am learning."

"Hey," Annie says, "at least your teacher didn't learn the language from Sesame Street!"

Abra blinks. "What?"

Abed launches into the story (Annie presumes) in fast-paced and heavily dramatized Arabic.

They lead the girls through the airport and out to the car, chattering happily the whole time.

As Abed puts the suitcase in the trunk, Annie asks, "Do you want to sit in the front?"

Abra shakes her head. "I will sit with you, yes?"

Annie jingles the keys. "I'm driving, but you can sit with Abed in the back."

She pulls the back door open for her, Abra adjusting the swaths of black fabric as she sits in the Prius. As Annie moves to swing the door shut, an arm shoots out to stop her.

"Thank you," Abra says, "You are good to my cousin."

Annie fidgets, unsure how to respond. "Abed's my friend. I–"

"She says you help her with," she pauses, trying to find the right words, "showing herself. This is hard for her. She seems sad now, but more happy with you."

Annie shrugs. "She's having a hard time without Troy. We all are."

Abra quirks her head. "Was my cousin…?" She trails off, seemingly unsure of the proper boundaries. 

Annie raises her eyebrows, but Abra doesn't continue. She shrugs and climbs into the driver's seat.

Abed crams themself in the back seat next to Abra, long legs bent in the small car.

As Annie rolls them out of the parking lot, she glances over her shoulder, watches their eyes crinkle in just the same way as Abra caresses the folds of their hijab and murmurs one of the few Arabic words Annie actually knows. 

_ Jamila. _

Beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for my shaky understanding of Palestinian culture. I tried.
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank Tumblr user @tobiosite for making an incredibly kind post about this series and inspiring me to actually update it. It really made my day.


End file.
